A year of film criticism through creation, and vice versa.

Post navigation

A Farewell to the Odyssey

Can you hear the whirl-tick-tick of the reel spinning, the film all spent and fluttering in the hot lamplight? The show is over, and now it’s time for the credits.

It’s 365 days, 365 films and 365 reviews later. The Odyssey has examined films from the silent birth, the golden era, the New Hollywood and 2014’s new releases. If there’s an underlying thread in every review posted on this site, it’s that every film has at least a modicum of worth. It might be like The Hangover, tasty but lacking nutrition, or 2001: A Space Odyssey, so full of metaphors that it’s hard for even the most cerebral viewer to digest. But in the end, every piece of film critiqued on this site was made with purpose and passion — and in that way, each movie has value.

The Odyssey would not be what it is a year later without the likes, reblogs and follows that made writing each critique easier. The Odyssey will remain live online, but no further entries will be added. Instead, check out my main residence, Quills and Typewriters, for more film reviews, pop culture articles and other commentary in 2015 and beyond.

Some of the greatest films, particularly westerns, end with the hero riding of into the sunset. This trope has continued on to today, with one of the most famous endings in film being that of The Dark Knight. Batman flees from the police through deserted streets as Jim Gordon declares him the “hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs.” Thank you for being the readers I needed this year — I hope I was the critic you deserved.